


Facing the Herald

by RandomnonsenseDA (B1nary_S0lo)



Series: Aylwen Lavellan [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, F/M, Haven (Dragon Age), Mages and Templars, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 03:29:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13379181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B1nary_S0lo/pseuds/RandomnonsenseDA
Summary: Against his better judgement, Cullen agrees to teach Aylwen to battle Templars.





	Facing the Herald

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill for the DA Drunk Writing Circle over on Tumblr. Prompt was: "LI sparring with OC, and letting them win"

Cullen had known from the start that sparring with the Herald was a bad idea. But the more he got to know her, the more difficult it was to refuse her anything.

They were speaking in the training yard at Haven and the subject turned to her recent missions in the Hinterlands, and then to rebel mages and rogue Templars.

“Other mages I can handle,” she said, “but I don’t know the first thing about fighting Templars.”

He shuffled his feet in the snow, hand resting involuntarily on the hilt of his sword.

“It’s not easy,” he said. “Templars are trained to best mages. But, there are strategies you can use against them.”

Her eyes lit up.

“Can you show me?”

So it was that he found himself face to face with her on a flat, snowy plain not too far from the town, her gripping her staff, and he his sword and shield.

“Remember,” Cullen said, “your best strategy is to keep your distance and conserve your mana. Templars will try to close that distance, cancel out your magic and end things quickly. You mustn’t let them.”

She nodded, serious, like when she was in the War Room.

“Also keep in mind that I’m no longer a Templar. Facing me won’t be exactly like facing the real thing.”

“I understand.”

“All right, then.”

The two stepped apart, each walking backwards several paces in the snow. Cullen tried to create as much distance between them as possible, to make it fair. Already his heart was racing. It had been some time since he’d faced a mage in battle, or called upon his fading Templar abilities, and the thought of doing so didn’t sit well with him. He’d left that life behind for a reason, after all.

Both Aylwen and Cullen stopped at opposite ends of the plain. She raised her staff, planted her feet. Her expression was determined. His heart thumped once more. Much as he didn’t want to spar her, her didn’t want her falling in battle either, especially not to Templars who meant her harm. She needed to learn.

“Are you ready?” he called.

“Yes.” She grinned. “Don’t go too easy on me.”

His spine prickled at the flippancy in her voice, but he planted his feet and raised his sword and shield.

Reaching back into a part of himself he’d long buried, Cullen cast a Cleanse. He wanted to startle her, knock her off balance. This tactic worked well with recruits, who often overestimated their abilities and needed to be scared straight.

As soon as the wave of negative energy struck her, Aylwen faltered. She swayed, but managed to stay on her feet and in motion. Backing farther away, she let the cleansing aura fade and cast a barrier around herself, shot fireballs in his direction.

He easily dodged most of them, infused his sword with a Righteous Strike so he could knock the others aside. He advanced and cast another Cleanse. It was strange how easy it was, even with the Lyrium in his blood fading.

She stumbled again, only for a moment. With a grunt she re-cast her barrier and arced lighting through the air, gaining herself time to dart further out of his reach. She launched spell after spell at him—fire, ice, storm again, but he easily dodged or knocked them aside.

It was easy, far too easy. She was on the run, out of her depth and using up her mana too quickly. Cullen saw the path to besting her without even trying. Cast a Silence, cut off her path to her mana, close the distance and knock her off her feet—

But then he caught sight of her face. She was breathing hard, flushed and fearful, and Cullen was knocked nearly off his feet by a wave of memories—mages fleeing through burning streets, their terrified faces as they were advanced upon, and now that expression on her face. No. Never her—

He slid to a stop in the snow, breathing hard. Despite his blurring vision he managed to lower his sword. Lighter footsteps slid across the snow toward him, and then came her voice

“Cullen?”

He started, coming back to the present. She stood several feet away, staff lowered, looking at him in concern. He sheathed his sword and took a step back.

“That—that’s enough,” he said.

“Cullen—”

But he was already turning, heading back to Haven. He didn’t wait for her, too ashamed, too afraid to look at her. He knew he would have to find her later, apologize for losing control and scaring her. Make whatever excuses he needed to avoid sparring with her a second time. Because he knew now that he would never use his Templar abilities again. Not on her. Not on anyone.


End file.
